XANTHREL

NEWS AND PATCH NOTES

Here you find news, ideas and the changes of every version. XANTHREL is in its alpha phase: bug reports and wishes are welcome.

Demo · 11.11.2026

The XANTHREL demo is here.

  • The demo covers stages 1 to 4 with all wave battles. After that the run ends, and a closing screen leads to feedback.
  • Playable are three ships (VIPER, FALCON, CONDOR), two pilots (Kai Novak, Ash Vega) and the collector, defense and combat drones. Everything else is visible in the hangar but locked as “Full version only”.
  • The demo saves to its own folder (Xanthrel_Demo) and does not touch full-version saves.
  • The full version (Alpha 0.20.0) is no longer offered for download here for now and follows later.
  • Feedback to info@xanthrel.de or via the FEEDBACK page is welcome.

Version 0.20.0 · 8 Nov 2026

Eight stages, abilities without keys and a lot more.

This update also contains versions 0.19.0 and 0.19.1, which were not released on their own.

New

  • Eight stages (Mercury to Neptune), each with its own wave battle, followed by the endless zone. After every wave victory you choose one of three rewards. There are also four new wave relics.
  • Victory window and the NIGHTMARE difficulty: After winning stage 8 you can end the run or fly on into the endless zone. The fourth level unlocks once you have mastered stage 8. Difficulty now has its own window in the hangar.
  • Badges (bronze, silver, gold and platinum) for every ship.
  • New enemies: The dust thief sneaks up cloaked and taps rift tension. The sniper aims with a red line and then fires a very fast shot.
  • Parasite hack: The new card lets the parasite drone hack an enemy, which then fights for you.
  • Ramming with boost: With boost active you take out small enemies by ramming them. A target marker and gentle steering assist help you.
  • Crit cards: Critical Hit, Heavy Strike and Hit Chain let your combat drones and the buddy sometimes hit for double or triple damage.
  • A 15th ship that you have to unlock first.
  • New missions: 15 new flight missions about hunting enemies.
  • Sharper drone images in the hangar and in the hexagons at the top left.

Changed

  • Abilities trigger on their own: Shockwave, emergency shield and decoy body no longer need keys. The shadow decoy is gone.
  • Enemies deal 15 % less damage.
  • The drones avoid mine fields and debris fields and dodge better from the start.
  • The missions Magnet Mines and Comets have been removed.
  • Hangar: the orange thruster bars under the ships are gone.

The game is still in its alpha phase. Bug reports and wishes are welcome.

Outlook: ideas for the future

These are ideas we are thinking about. They are not promises, and the order is open. You can tell us which of them matters most to you with the feedback form.

  • More languages: The game and the website now come in German and English; further languages are an idea for later.
  • More ships and pilots: further ships with their own character and new pilots that you unlock through missions.
  • More module cards and drones: new cards for new play styles and new tasks for the companions.
  • New enemies and hazards: more variety in the stages and in the endless zone.
  • A video about the game: a short trailer showing how a run works.
  • Polish based on your feedback: balance, controls and displays, wherever things still feel rough.

Looking back at earlier versions

0.18.0 (1 Nov 2026)

  • The wave battle replaces the bosses: At the end of every stage four waves of enemies arrive from outside the screen; the rift only stays open once all of them are defeated.
  • "WAVE 2 / 4" display, more enemies with stronger equipment, the wave relic appears as a card.
  • Changed: weaker anomalies, no course arrow any more, stage shown in the mission panel, louder horn. Fixed: English texts and the licence page.

0.17.0 (31 Oct 2026)

  • Four bosses at the end of stages 1 to 4 (Mine King, Hunter Carrier, Repair Yard, Admiral), with boss relics as a reward. Since 0.18.0 the wave battle replaces them.
  • MODtree: 24 permanent mods in three arms in the hangar. Relics now change rules instead of numbers.
  • Buddy: a companion drone with a photon beam for every ship; the scout helps your drones; smarter drones dodge obstacles.
  • The game in English with a language switch in the settings; new hangar tab DRONES; emergency shield and shadow decoy on keys.

0.16.0 (26 Oct 2026)

  • The module cards have been rebuilt from scratch: every card is a module or an upgrade, has a short sentence and shows the comparison before ➔ after.
  • New ability Shockwave (Epic) paralyzes all enemies nearby for 3 seconds; the shock pulse is gone.
  • The decoy is now released with a key, two hexagons show the cooldown.
  • Many new cards, including Second Life, Twin Collector, Parasite Swarm and Mirror Shield.

0.15.0 (25 Oct 2026)

  • The game can be played with the mouse: all menus are clickable, in flight the left click gives thrust, the right click brakes, the mouse wheel switches the radar zoom, and the ship turns toward the cursor.
  • New MOUSE column in the controls: every action can be assigned to any mouse button.
  • The game detects whether you use mouse, keyboard or controller and shows the matching keys. New mouse cursor and pause button.
  • Softer menu sounds, uniform menu frames, settings with sliders. The main menu subtitle reads COLLECT. SURVIVE. JUMP.

0.14.1 (25 Oct 2026)

  • New menu item LICENSES with the notices on Godot Engine and the fonts used, plus a small note “Made with Godot Engine” in the main menu.
  • The developer console is switched off in the downloads.

0.14.0 (24 Oct 2026)

  • New VOID RIFT: The rift now looks like a mighty alien object: an edge-on galaxy with a warm core, a dust trail and a soft rim. The pulling in of objects and the entry have been redesigned too.
  • Three difficulty levels EASY, MEDIUM and HARD, selectable in the hangar. Every level has its own leaderboard.
  • New card SHADOW DECOY (key can be set in the CONTROLS menu) and a Shadow Drone that hides the ship from search drones and scouts.
  • New drones in a 3D look and a new look for the satellite wrecks.
  • All module cards in the same layout: property with symbol, name and effect always in the same place.
  • New flight HUD: a ring around the radar with thrust, hull, energy and speed, thin arcs for shield and boost.
  • New setting POV (camera distance), re-sorted settings, silent pause with the P key.
  • Wrecks now give more hull; if energy and hull are full, you get jump energy.
  • Sideways thrust has been removed from the game. The display now reads XANTHREL ALPHA.

0.13.0 (22 Oct 2026)

  • New flight HUD: radar at the bottom center with a view cone and symbols for enemies and your own drones, Xanthrel bar at the top, missions at the top right.
  • Drones with more brains: longer ranges, a second combat drone (Pincer), the scout lights up a cone in the flight direction. Enemies fight back when your drones attack them.
  • Eight new module cards, now 102 in total, including Pincer Tactics and Linked Laser.
  • Mine and debris fields show a subtle guide path for the entry.
  • The anomaly pulls enemies in more strongly.

0.12.0 (20 Oct 2026)

  • Two new enemies: the Needler Swarm and the Harrier, which hunts only your companion drones.
  • 50 new module cards, 94 in total: ship, drones, hazards, Xanthrel, jump and rift.
  • VOID RIFT becomes dangerous: If you miss the gate deadline, you are torn apart. The card RIFT STABILIZER gives you chances against that.
  • Four new ships and four new pilots that you unlock only through missions.
  • Drones dodge ahead of time and take damage from chunks, comets and storms. The anomaly is bigger and pulls harder.
  • Buying in the hangar only unlocks, equipping happens with the selection.

0.11.0 (19 Oct 2026)

  • The dodge jump has been removed, the shock pulse is on B on the controller.
  • Drones detonate mines on contact.
  • Five modules get rolled values in bronze, silver or gold.
  • New parasite cards ENERGY LEECH and ROCK TAPPER.
  • Anomalies from Mercury on with a clearly noticeable pull, no boost is possible inside.
  • Decoys now throw a volley of five flares.

0.10.0 (17 Oct 2026) with 0.10.1 to 0.10.3

  • Floating numbers above the ship and enemies show damage and collected Xanthrel.
  • All ships, drones and enemies as 3D images.
  • The game guide has been revised, “add-ons” are now called modules, the game has its own program icon, “black hole” is now called rift everywhere.
  • The scout can be attacked, the game runs a bit more smoothly, a crash on exit has been fixed.
  • New relic RIFT ANCHOR.

0.9.0 (16 Oct 2026)

  • The game is now called XANTHREL (formerly VOID RUNNER), and so is the golden dust.
  • New look in flight: painted ships, enemies, drones and effects, soft nebulae, more depth in space and planets as scenery (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars).
  • HUD in scanner style and the font B612 Mono everywhere, also in the menus.
  • New solar storm, softer explosions and dust clouds, finer comet tail.
  • The background no longer stutters, mine fields are denser, the combat drone chases enemies more freely.

0.8.0 (14 Oct 2026)

  • Hangar ORBITAL SHIPYARD with the four tabs ship, pilot, ship system and relic and the currency VOIDMARK for unlockable content.
  • New drone types: Scout, Parasite and Shadow Drone, plus many new cards.
  • New settings on one scrolling page (volume, effects, controller vibration and more).
  • After “Stage complete” a stopover leads to the hangar.
  • Camouflage in the nebula, softer return of the drones and a sensor line around mine fields.

0.7.0 (11 Oct 2026)

  • Newly built hazards: bigger mine fields, comets with a dangerous tail, solar storm, space junk as debris fields.
  • Stage missions: 18 different missions, completing one gives a bonus card.
  • Ramming: drones and cruisers can no longer be flown through, both take damage.
  • More action and more enemies, a new title image in the main menu and the hazard gallery, where you can look at all hazards and enemies.

0.5.0 (10 Oct 2026) with 0.6.0 and 0.6.1

  • New enemies: Scout, Interceptor, Minelayer, Fighter, Repair Drone and Cruiser.
  • Loot: Destroyed enemies drop sparkling stars (energy, Xanthrel or bonus card).
  • Drones: Combat drone with laser and missiles, collector drone, defense drone; the companions fly in formation, but can be attacked.
  • New obstacles: comets, mine fields, gas clouds, meteor showers and solar storms.
  • Time limit at the open jump gate, collection streak with bonus, new game guide with animated images.

Early versions 0.1.0 to 0.4.0 (9 and 10 Oct 2026)

The beginning: a playable sector with ship, asteroids, Xanthrel and jump gate, then the jump gate as a rift with pull and suction, results and leaderboard, maintenance and search drone as the first enemy, saving and continuing, drones on board and an endless zone that gets more dangerous over time.

Found a bug, have an idea or feedback on the game? Write to us directly via the feedback form.